Monday, January 25, 2010

The Future of Fajitas

The future of fajitas has changed dramatically at my house. It's actually been years since I made fajitas. The reason is silly ~ my marinade calls for pepper jelly. I rarely have it on hand since I have no other reason to buy it. When I finished the last jar I had, several years ago mind you, I stopped making fajitas. I just happened to acquire more recently, and now I've decided that pepper jelly may advance to a kitchen staple for the sole purpose of making fajitas.

Why the advancement? Because last week I made a fajita discovery. I had the bright idea not to fuss with a grill of any kind. Instead I marinated veggies and tofu as I normally would, put it on a pan, and roasted them in the oven.

I put the tofu in a little early, then added the veggies to the same pan.

I also roasted a separate tray of broccoli with the leftover marinade drizzled over it. And I'm happy to report it all worked! There wasn't the same smoky flavor you would get on an outdoor grill, but otherwise the result seemed identical. It's so much easier for me to throw it in the oven and forget about it than to dutifully turn things on the grill or grill pan. So yes, there's a new future for fajitas at my house.

In case you'd like to open your own jar of pepper jelly, here's my recipe:

Tofu and Veggie "Oven Fajitas"

1 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. vinegar (I used apple cider)

2 Tbsp. canola oil

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. pepper jelly

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne (less for a toddler's palette!)

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

12 oz. extra firm tofu, sliced

1 large onion, sliced

2 bell peppers, sliced

Tortillas

Fajita fixins

Mix all the ingredients, then pour over your tofu and veggies in an airtight container. Coat well, but be gentle with the tofu so it doesn't break. Marinade in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the tofu on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. Add the veggies for another 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on everything to be sure nothing gets too brown. Serve on tortillas with fajita fixins as you please.

NOTE: Have fun experimenting with different veggie combinations. I think portabellas would be great!